BC’s Female U18 team arrived in Prince George, BC eager to take on the rest of the country in the 2015 Canada Winter Games. After an exciting Opening Ceremony where defenseman Micah Hart (Saanichton) served as Team BC’s flag bearer, the women had their first contest against Quebec on February 14, 2015. While the scoreboard suggested a lopsided game, Team BC kept it close until the second period, when Quebec scored two (2) goals within 46 seconds, and then scored three (3) goals within 90 seconds to close the period. The final result was a 7-0 loss.

BC’s second preliminary game was on February 15, 2015 against Ontario. Ontario opened the scoring at 12:51 in the first period, but BC was able to tie it up thanks to a goal from Aldergrove’s Amy Potomak. Unfortunately that proved to be BC’s lone goal, as Ontario piled on six (6) more before the game ended, resulting in a final score of 7-1.

February 16, 2015 saw the final game of the preliminary round, against Prince Edward Island (PEI). BC showed off their offensive prowess, scoring five (5) goals –Hart opened the scoring at 8:05 in the first period. Sarah Potomak (Aldergrove) followed up less than two (2) minutes later, and scored a second goal less than five (5) minutes into the second period. Maegan Beres (Lions Bay) also scored two (2) goals, while defenseman Olivia Knowles (Campbell River) showed off her playmaking ability by recording three (3) assists. Goaltender Jenna de Jonge (Abbotsford) recorded nine (9) saves in the 5-1 win.

After finishing third in Group B, BC moved on to the quarterfinals against the second place team from Group A – Saskatchewan, on February 18, 2015. The game was a back-and-forth contest, with Beres and Sarah Potomak (2) scoring for BC. The game eventually went to overtime, which was a scoreless period, resulting in a shootout. Goaltender Morgan Skinner (Victoria) put up a valiant effort, but Saskatchewan prevailed in the shootout, moving on to the semifinals.

BC’s fourth game was a relegation match against New Brunswick on February 19, 2015. BC won 4-1 thanks to two (2) goals from Leona Sim (Vancouver) and additional goals from Amy Potomak and Shannon Morris-Reade (Port Coquitlam).

BC's final game of the tournament will be a relegation match against Manitoba on February 20, 2015. Watch a livestream sportscanada.tv at 4:00PM.

The 2015 Canada Winter Games are the largest multi-sport and cultural event to ever be held in Prince George and Northern BC. It is forecasted to generate an economic impact of $70 to $90 million to the area. Athletes from 10 provinces and three (3) territories are competing in 19 sports. For more information about Team BC and the 2015 Canada Winter Games, please visit their websites at www.teambc.org and www.canadagames2015.ca.